JOURNALISM ETHICS APPLICABLE DURING DISASTERS

1. Truth
The prime responsibility of a journalist is to convey information to the public.
A journalist is obliged not to conceal information whose content and importance is a
subject of public interest.
A journalist must publish views that may contradict his/her own opinions. While
presenting controversial views he/she must maintain a balance between the opposing
sides to ensure equity among the parties.

2. Objectivity
A journalist must always protect the right to criticize and make comments in a
reasonable and fair manner.
Informative materials of any type (video, audio, text, photo, etc.) should be carefully and
closely examined in order not to distort information.
Non-documented illustrations, photo and video modification, or any other alterations
that might mislead the public must carry an appropriate explanatory note.
While reviewing material provided by various newspapers or any other informational
sources the main content of the information must not be altered. Cutting of texts or any
other changes applied to them must not result in distortion.
A journalist must always declare his identity when dealing with an information source.
This principle can be neglected only in case of obtaining exclusive and vitally important
information in the public interest that cannot be gained otherwise.
A journalist must take a particularly careful approach when providing a summary of an
interview not to violate the rights of an interviewee as a co-author in any way.

3. Honesty
A journalist must describe facts and events based on actual and reliable evidences.
He/she must not conceal information or misinterpret it.
A journalist must avoid illegal ways of obtaining information, photos, and news.
Carrying out journalistic investigation secretly can be permitted only in special cases.
However, the public interest does not justify any illegal action on order to obtain the
information.
Any inaccuracy in providing information or making comments (if in the future it is
regarded so), must be immediately corrected through the same informational source or
by the same journalist who presented the information.

4. Confidentiality
A journalist must maintain professional secrecy and the confidentiality of a source
providing information.. This promise can be broken only in case if any criminal action or
any other action carrying risk to the public is being planned.

5. Independence
A journalist must fulfil his/her professional duties without allowing any third parties to
interfere. Namely, he/she must not be influenced by government officials or any other
bodies that can alter the contents of journalistic material or impair the independence of
journalistic activities. Any representative of the mass media is obliged to resist anyone
who restricts their independence. This principle applies to cases when facts and events
are misinterpreted or distorted by the head of the institution where the journalist works
(his/her employer).
A journalist working simultaneously in a governmental body should do his utmost to
keep his official duties apart from journalistic responsibilities. The same goes for those
public servants who intend to start journalistic activities.
Publishing material or views under the influence of a third party's private or financial
interests is not justified. Advertisement and editorial material must be clearly
distinguished.

6. Respect for human rights

A journalist must respect the private life of an individual and the social environment that
he/she lives in. However if an action by a certain individual is connected to the public
interests the journalist may consider this question. In such cases a journalist must be
cautious not to violate the rights of other interested individuals.
A journalist must be careful in describing any criminal, or tragic events. He/she must try
not to cause danger to human lives. While describing similar events, it is not justifiable
to give the names of suspects and their relatives, or to publish the material enabling
these to be identified person. To provide society with information about an event does
not necessarily require persons to be named.
This principle does not always apply when a suspect or victim is a public official or
celebrity, which gives the situation special importance.
Reporting subjectively on criminal cases or court trials is inadmissible.
A suspect must not be reported as a criminal offender or companion in crime until it is
so proved by the official court decision.
Special caution must be exercised when reporting juvenile crimes.
The principle of respecting the future of the young limits a journalist in providing
juvenile offenders' names or their photos. This rule also applies to cases when a teenager
is a victim.

A journalist must be particularly careful during disasters or any other national calamity.
In such cases he/she must give priority to saving human lives, and put his professional
duties in second place. It is strictly inadmissible to manipulate victims' feelings.
It is intolerable to practise racial, national, sexual, religious, physical, political, social or
any other form of discrimination
A journalist must avoid indicating any of the above mentioned groups if this is not
essential in the clarification of facts and events.
Plagiarism and unwarranted accusations are inadmissible.
http://www.minglebox.com/blog/back-t-riyah/post/dumbing_down_of_news
Dumbing down of news
Is the news we are provided not prioritized properly?
This is a debate that has not ended up with any conclusions so far. What decides
or rather who decides what the general public should know and what the general
public need not know?

On Sunday, following the Pantaloons Femina Miss India contest that had taken
place in Mumbai on Saturday night, the Times of India, and Bangalore edition
carried a news report filling almost half a page in the main paper about the
event.
Right below the report of the Miss India event was a small 3 column report of a
very tragic incident - a small boy of about 9 years of age was beaten up brutally
by police officers. His crime: he had stolen 500 rupees. He stole the money to get
to his grandmother after his mother had abandoned him while he was asleep.
The boy was roughed up so much that his face was extremely bruised, his arm
was broken, and he almost crawled into court holding his stomach in pain. The
judge has called for strict action against the policemen. And has asked for
medical treatment to be given to the boy immediately.
Tell me... what is more important for the general public to know?
We are all aware that the size and positioning of a story speaks volumes about
the importance the newspaper gives it.
Is it more important for people to know in detail what happened at a glamorous
event, or is it more important for them to be made aware of such dehumanizing
acts vetted out to poor kids?
It appears as if newspapers today are prioritizing glam and celebrity gossip over
things that are of more importance to the lay man.
The same accusation can also be applied to the sports stories. newspapers are
accused of prioritizing cricket (and all the glam associated with it) side-lining any

other sport.
It is however, a vicious cycle.
We cannot blame newspapers alone.
They run on money. They need their revenue. And so they cater to what their
audience wants to see.
Is it not true that a majority of the people look forward to the glam-quotient of
their news than its relevance? Is it not true that the majority of people want to
see cricket stretched out onto 3 pages?
So who's to blame?
Is it the newspaper- because after all, what appears in the paper and in what
order determines what I read.
Or is it the public- because what we want is what we see?